


Miscommunication

by BleedingCoffee



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Oneshot, episode events and dialogue with added shippy flavor, s02e03:Point of Light, the morning after, trope: miscommunication, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:22:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleedingCoffee/pseuds/BleedingCoffee
Summary: In which Pike manages to fail so fabulously upon being introduced to Amanda that she thinks he’s dating her son, was the reason Spock he had a mental break and that the Starbase 5 Captain is being paid in sexual favors to keep the situation quiet.And that’s not even the worst of it, to Michael's horror.Just another day on Discovery.
Relationships: Michael Burnham/Christopher Pike
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	Miscommunication

**Author's Note:**

> I’m using actual dialogue and actions from the episode and combining it with the ludacris nature of my own humor, to serve to you this “what could have been” of episode 3. Because that’s fanfiction baby, self-indulgent and making everything hornier. It's also me playing with the miscommunication trope.
> 
> I still don't know a ton about Star Trek, but I'm learning--I'm learning there is so damned much information that pretty much anything is game to happen.

Miscommunication

* * *

It was just another day on the bridge of Discovery. Just another day, like any other day, and there was _no_ reason for Michael to be uncomfortable around her workstation or in the vicinity of a certain Starfleet captain. Michael kept repeating that in her mind, but her brain seemed to be willfully avoiding acknowledging it. 

_Dammit._

She thought she’d be handling things better the morning after….and a quick look at Chris sitting in the chair looking curious but confident, quickly reminded her that she was _not_ over last night. At all. She had several rounds of fabulous sex with Christopher ‘Starfleet Legend for a damned good reason’ Pike last night and every look at him made her stomach do flips and her brain flash back to his smile, his lips…his hair that she tried to pull out of his head.

She looked up at him again, just briefly, and regretted it. Her whole body wanted to coo like a Tribble when she looked at Chris in the chair, and she immediately looked back down at her workstation and tapped harder on the console than was necessary. Just because they had sex last night didn’t mean anything changed. They were at work, they were both professionals. He was handling this way better than her and, thankfully, Tilly was not here to point out she was flustered. Till was not here to announce that she looked 'well fucked' like she did this morning in their room. She didn’t need another emergency communication from Sarek asking if she was dead. Best to keep her mind, and eyes, off the reason for her personal crisis in order to get through her shift. Thankfully, there was an approaching ship that could be hostile, that was the priority, not the man commanding this one.

“Tell them that if they get any closer without saying who they are, we will activate tactical systems.” Chris instructed and leaned on the left arm of the chair and focused on the screen. 

Bryce nodded, “Aye, Captain.”

Why did his voice have to be so... _mmm_ ? She took a deep breath. She was better than this, better with her emotions….oh no, she was _terrible_ with her emotions. She looked over at Tilly's station and then back to her own. Where the hell was her anchor when she needed her? All the encouragement to go to his room for chess and dinner last night and then none of the support the workday after? Tilly had to know she would be overthinking this right now, Chris had to know she was overthinking this right now. She looked up at him and he must have seen her in his peripherals, because he turned his head slightly and gave her a simple, warm, half-smile. It...worked. She felt calmer, more grounded. And this was the same man who somehow, in one night, managed to break every single mental levy in her that kept emotions at bay. How did he ruin an entire upbringing on Vulcan in _just one night_? How did he calm the tempest inside of her with _just one crooked smile?_

“Owo, got anything on scans?” Chris asked and looked back to the screen, curious who would be so stupid as to ignore being hailed or announcing themselves to a Federation starship. 

“Detecting a small ship. Two life forms.” Owokesun announced.

“Captain. They've opened up a channel.” Bryce informed him. “It’s a private vessel with a diplomatic registry number. They aren’t required to tell us more. Captain asked to beam one aboard.”

Michael had remained detached until the mention of a diplomatic vessel, then the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A _diplomatic_ vessel was approaching and she had an inclination as to who it might be, because she handled this all _so damned well_. _Shit!_

“Now in range for a visual.” Owo announced.

“On screen.” Chris said.

“Aye captain.” Owo said.

Everyone fell silent as the ship appeared on the visuals and Michael felt like everything stopped _because of her_. She felt like her very core was a black hole that she was being sucked into and everyone else was feeling the pull to be consumed by it. 

“That ship is _Vulcan_.” Saru said and looked over at Michael for confirmation. She looked….sick.

“That ship is….Sarek’s. I recognize it.” She said, and for the first time that morning, she made solid eye contact with Chris. He raised an eyebrow and got out of his chair to come over to her. She looked at everything but him as he approached. “He assembled a federation task force to study the seven signals. He might have news for us.”

Chris was next to her quickly and leaned on her console, he could see she wasn’t handling the development in their relationship well so he tried to play it calm and normal to the best of his ability. Playing it calm and normal, he realized, was apparently hovering over Michael at every opportunity. If Tilly was the only one who saw they had ‘something’ this crew was going to have their eyes checked. He kept his own eyes on the console, ashamed to admit what he did, “He may want to discuss _something else_.”

The volume of his voice was low, but it was the depth of it that made her shudder. Oh no, _he knew_? Did Sarek attempt to contact her Captain before her to find out what caused him to feel…

“I reported Spock's advanced knowledge of the signals to Command.” Chris said and lifted his eyes to her and saw her blink, like she just experienced mental whiplash. He raised an eyebrow to silently ask ‘What did you think I was talking about?’. She stared back, actually relieved. Ok. Well, mark that for later. “The information probably got back to the ambassador, with the news that his son admitted himself into a psychiatric hospital.”

Michael breathed a sigh of relief and, for the first time since coming on the bridge this morning, felt like she fell into a “normal” routine. Seeing the guilt on his face made her forget her own worries and do what she could to reassure him he made the right choice. “You didn’t betray your friend, captain.”

Chris looked up at her, impressed by how quickly she could compartmentalize her own personal existential crisis to offer him support. This was their normal, and he just now realized how close in proximity to her he had always gravitated since they met. 

“You followed protocol.” She assured him and she couldn’t break eye contact with him now, despite having been unable to even look at him minutes earlier. They shared a connection, with unspoken words and mere eye contact, a connection she never thought a human and human could have. Something that truly rivaled Vulcan telepathy, on a level that was almost greater because it wasn’t about reading _minds_ but reading _each other_. 

“It’s easy to say, harder to believe.” He said quietly and finally looked down because this still felt like betrayal. Spock chose him for this secret and as soon as Starfleet became a priority, he betrayed that trust.

“Have you heard from Spock’s doctors on Starbase Five?” She asked.

Another betrayal, he wasn’t pushing hard enough to find out answers on his own, he simply tattled to Command and let them sort it out. He shook his head, refusing to look at Michael because both she and Spock deserved better. “No, not yet.”

Michael watched him as he walked away, back to the chair. His posture was different, weighted, like this was entirely his burden. 

“Report to the transporter room, Commander.” Chris said as he went back to the chair and noticed Saru trying to look busy at his console. He knew he had noted the conversation with Michael. They all did. They only looked away and stopped smiling when they saw, and heard, how heavy his voice was. _Discovery_ was definitely not the _Enterprise_ , that was for damned sure. He cleared his throat and corrected his posture, and tried to sound more commanding and not like he just came out of confessional. “Welcome the ambassador aboard.”

“Yes, sir.” She said as he looked over at her, with eyes full of encouragement and support, right before he sat back down in the chair. She held her head up, a flutter of inspiration from a mere look, right before she remembered that this diplomatic visit was probably _not_ about Spock but about multiple, overwhelming orgasms she experienced at her captain’s hands _and more_ , last night. Thankfully, they hadn’t known each other long enough for him to read _that look_ on her face, but it did get a questioning head tilt as he settled into his chair. She closed her eyes and went to the turbolift, needing to prepare herself for the one conversation with Sarek that was going to be more embarrassing than explaining her mutiny. She got in and announced, “Deck Four” and let her composure fall away and her anxiety show as the doors closed.

* * *

“Boarding confirmed.” The transporter room tech announced. “Transporter lock established.”

Michael braced herself, as best as she could, and instructed, “Energize.”

“Aye, commander.”

Michael kept her hands behind her back, spine straight and chin high. There was no reason to be embarrassed about how her relationship had developed with Chris, even if it had been quick. Even if he was her captain. Even if she had no idea how good sex could be until she was writhing on his bed last night as he coaxed her to climax, over and over. The comfort she shared with him, the chemistry they had, was immediate. Their conversations, well except for their first argument on the bridge, had been exceptionally warm and as equals. Even that initial verbal spar went well....even when she had corrected him, on that first day, he had seemed to enjoy being called out. He didn’t hold it against her and immediately knew he wanted her by his side for the mission. He was extraordinary and there should be no shame for anything that transpired between them. So, as the gold filaments of matter materialized into the form of a person on the transporter pad she prepared herself to admit that she was indeed romantically interested and active with her captain; that she was proud he wanted to be with her. She wasn’t prepared for who materialized in front of her. “ _Amanda?_ ”

Amanda Grayson immediately walked towards her and enveloped her in a hug. “Please don’t react. Spock needs our help.”

Michael’s eyes grew wide. Chris _was right_? This was about _Spock_?

“I could only turn to you.” Amanda whispered and stepped back as if to admire her daughter. Michael looked tense.

Michael nodded, not realizing how much she had worked herself up to brace herself for Sarek’s _look_ that would convey everything from disappointment to _knowing_ what he felt last night and why. Having Amanda show up, let all that build up come crashing down and it only served to confuse her. Amanda was here _about Spock_. So...did that mean she should...tell her about.. _.no._ She didn’t share these things, but Chris was a huge part of her brother’s life too and her captain and now it felt like she was compromised. Instead of saying anything she nodded and led Amanda out of the transporter room and into the hall. It was time to work. “You know about the seven signals?”

“Yes.” Amanda replied. “Sarek informed me. People are anxious to know what they are.”

“Spock's connected to them.” 

“How?” Amanda asked, surprised. 

“He left a log claiming that he saw them, long before they appeared to the Federation.” Michael said, confidence and calm returning now that she had a problem to solve that wasn’t her own problems. Big sister protocol activated, _this_ she could handle. “But until we can speak with him, we have no answers, and I don’t know what else to do.”

“I have no new angles to investigate.” Amanda said and then lowered her voice when she stopped in the hall. “Except for the one I’m giving you.”

Michael cocked an eyebrow as she turned to Amanda, surprised she's stop in the middle of a busy corridor intersection.

“I just came from Starbase Five. I went to the psychiatric unit.” Amanda said and her composure melted away. She stared waving her hands in an attempt to put her energy into something that wasn't tears. “They wouldn’t tell me where he was. They wouldn’t let me see him. They wouldn't say what was wrong with him. They wouldn’t even give me his personal effects.”

“You’re his next of kin, _and_ you're a diplomat’s wife.” Michael said, in shock. What the hell was going on? This wasn't normal. 

“So, I did the only logical thing.” Amanda said, and quieted her hands by talking Michaels hands in her own. “I stole his medical file.”

Michael looked away, pained. If there was ever a question as to why two kids raised in the Vulcan tradition still managed to have such a rebellious streak, the answer would immediately reveal itself when they talked to Amanda. 

Amanda opened Michael’s hand and palmed the drive she stole into it. “It’s encrypted. Can you please open it?”

Michael made a noise that was definitely something she had heard from Amanda during some parental lecture as a child. And _she_ never stole classified information. Oh how the tables had turned. “ _Mother._ ”

“Please.” Amanda squeezed her hand.

  
  
Michael nodded and wrapped her hand tightly around the drive and realized that there was only one person she could turn to for this.  
  
  
  


* * *

"Spock speaks highly of you.” Amanda said and took in the sight of the legendary Starfleet Captain, Christopher Pike, who definitely didn’t choose his best picture for his file. He was sitting at his desk, with the warm glow of the universe spilling down over him-- practically giving him a halo. “My daughter does too, I come to the right people.”

“And I think quite highly of them.” Chris smiled and looked over at Michael and saw her sitting ramrod straight in a chair that definitely was not suitable for that level of posture. He looked back to Amanda and she was relaxed, despite having committed a crime. Ok, this was going well, the first time meeting with Michael’s Mom was happening fast, but everything came at you fast around here. Weird it happened as she gifted him with the opportunity to break a ton of laws by breaking into a classified document, but Amanda Grayson's kids definitely got their wild streak from somewhere. He leaned over in his chair for a more casual approach to this conversation. “That makes it all the harder for me to tell you…”

Michael wondered why he was sitting _like that_. He was leaning hard to the left. _On purpose_? How was he even maintaining balance in that chair? Was his phaser injury bothering him again? His posture was usually relaxed but not... _sprawled over furniture_ levels of relaxed. She would have certainly know if he was hurt last night, but maybe they aggravated something with their activities? It seemed like she might be trading one embarrassment for another today. Dr. Pollard was going to point blank tell him to refrain from sexual activities while his ribs healed and then it would be all over the ship that Michael Burnham broke the new captain. Was he hiding this all morning while she was preoccupied with her own anxiety? Was he hurt? 

Chris leaned over the desk and picked up the disk. He tapped it on the desk. “I can’t open this file. I'd be in violation of the rules. And _my mother_ would not like that.”

Michael watched him play with the disk in his hand. Still leaning on his left arm rest but not indicating he was in any pain. In fact, he seemed to be smiling more now. Perhaps this was his diplomatic approach? It didn't matter, she was here to save him from his discomfort. Of course it came out with the tone of a strongly worded email, but he seemed to like that part of her, “There is precedent in Starfleet case law for a captain to invoke--”

Chris smiled at her, warm and proud, as he interrupted her and looked at her mother. “Was she this bossy as a kid?”

Michael watched him play with the disk, watched him smile, watching his eyes drift from her to Amanda. Oh. _Oh_. He thought he was being clever and this was a good way to breach the topic of their relationship. Oh... _he was so wrong_. She tried to warn him with a look, but he was trying to be extra charming for Amanda and was making sure he maintained eye contact with her while waiting for a response. 

“On Vulcan they call it 'persistent' and, yes, she was.” Amanda said sharply. “She learned that _from me_.”

Michael had to smile a little, but suppressed it quickly. Chris’s eyes had already come back to her, and he saw her amusement at his attempt being rebuked. His eyebrows little lifted making his face even softer, thoughtful, as the golden glow of light from the window behind him hit him perfectly. The braids on his shoulder shone like they were polished, his hair seemed to be more golden brown than peppered with gray, and he appeared unphased by Amanda’s words. He looked beautiful, and he looked _to her_ for how she wanted to proceed with this.

“Hmmm.” Chris said, letting it hum from deep in his chest. _That_ got Michael to take a deep breath and go wide-eyed as she realized what he was asking. ‘Tell your mom or no?’ he asked with his eyebrows and glanced quickly to Amanda and then returned to her. Michael was still frozen in her seat, telling him that the moment was _not_ right to disclose that he might be personally compromised if he were to invoke captain privileges set by Starfleet case law. He slid the disk around then tapped on the in desk screen to open a channel to the bridge, all the while keeping his eyes on Michael. “Bryce? Get me Captain Vela on Starbase five. Tell him it’s high priority.”

_“Yes, sir.”_

Michael watched him get up, watched his movement to make sure he wasn’t hurting from a re-aggravated rib injury, but saw nothing that indicated pain or hindered movement. All she saw was his beautiful ass as he got up and strode to the conference table, without a hitch in his step. He straightened up, donning his captainly presence once more, and set his strong shoulders straight. Before she realized they should follow him, he was already smiling at the screen. Amanda walked behind her, wanting to watch, and she had to kick herself to stop studying their captain like he was the subject of a nature documentary.

“ _Ah...Chris_.” The Starbase Captain greeted. “ _You and me bisabuela Nena are the only people in this quadrant still communicating on screens.”_

Chris smiled and leaned back against his table, arms crossed. “Your grandma sounds like a smart lady, you should introduce us.”

Amanda made a sound, only loud enough that Michael could hear. Michael wasn’t sure what _that_ sound meant. The only other time she had heard it was when Spock had made a gift for a girl at school, a logic puzzle. What did _that_ mean? 

“ _Sorry I haven’t returned your calls._ ”

“ _Calls_ , Diego.” Chris said sharply.

Amanda looked to Pike and saw his jaw clench a little. Then she looked back at Vela and saw him look down at his desk and busy himself. _Interesting_.

“I’m waiting for an update on my officer, Spock” Chris said, politely, but curtly. 

“ _I’m sorry, I can’t give you one_.”

Amanda made that sound again and Michael suddenly knew it was because Chris was moving from friendly and flirty to more of a commanding voice. It was something she had taken note of, her body had taken note of, and her Mom had noted it was directed at the rather flustered man somewhere in Starbase Five. _Oh._

Captain Vela puffed up his chest and tried to look apologetic. “ _His case is classified._ ”

Amanda cocked an eyebrow and looked from Vela to Pike as they stared each other down. Vela looked constipated. Perhaps recalling memories of their personal encounters? Certainly not because the replicators on the Starbase were not including enough fiber in their recipes.

Michael could almost hear her Mom’s thoughts, Amanda had always been somewhat uncanny with her observations of people. On Vulcan, it was more of a weapon, as Vulcans handled being called out on their emotions so well. Even she was wondering what was going on with Vela’s reactions, and knew from experience that Chris’s affections could have some lingering effects. She pushed that aside for later, right now this was about her baby brother and should be about how commanding and effective her captain was at getting them information. But still, she couldn’t help but focus on Chris’s face as he stared down the other captain and wonder…’did he?’.

“I’m well within my rights as his captain to get a prognosis.” Chris said and his gaze remained fixed on the screen. They could tease him all they wanted about the screens being archaic, but you simply could _not_ stare down someone this effectively when they were a hologram. “Even if that weren’t the case, Spock has information on the signals I was assigned to investigate. Starfleet declared my mission Priority One.”

“ _He signals have nothing to do with it, Chris._ ” Vela let his body slump with sympathy. “ _Your guy is wanted for murder. He killed three of his doctors, then fled the starbase_.”

Michael felt like she had been shocked by an electrical charge as those words were spoken. She looked to Amanda, who looked sad. _Sad_ but not _surprised_?

“Why isn’t word out about his escape so that every starship could be on the hunt?” Chris asked and watched Diego’s reaction closely. 

“ _Elements of the case just got complicated._ ” Vela answered and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “ _Some of Spock’s files are missing. We have no idea how._ ”

Amanda held her breath and looked from the screen to Pike. Pike narrowed his eyes at the man, looking confused and not giving away anything. She knew he wouldn’t give them away. Her kids were good judges of people.

“ _Rest assured, they’ve got people on it_.”

Michael saw the way that Captain Vela’s eyes opened wide, staring directly at Chris with a message. A warning? Vela knew him well enough to know he wasn’t going to let this go. So who would Starfleet send after her brother? Who was worth risking a warning?

“Thanks, Vela.” Chris said and stood up. “Pike, out.”

Amanda watched the screen go blue, and immediately said. “It’s not true.”

Chris turned to her. Amanda’s expression was that of a loving mother, a mother of apparently not just one, but two kids who managed to get on Starfleet’s naughty list. 

“My son is gentle and kind.” Amanda said, reminding Pike of the connection he shared with Spock. He looked conflicted, or at the very least mentally juggling his options. “He wouldn't do that.”

“I agree, captain.” Michael added, feeling like the look on Chris’s face meant he was weighing his duty as an officer over his loyalty to a friend.

“Well, that’s makes three of us.” He said and kept his eyes searching the room, not looking for anything, just trying to mentally look for answers. He walked towards his desk, thinking. Diego warned him someone was looking, and Spock was getting framed for murder when he was the one to acquire knowledge about these signals before anyone else. What the fuck had Starfleet become in his absence? Who else was he willing to get involved with this? “But I don’t think the people handling his case would concur.”

Michael felt a burst of pride, or something, as she watched him go back to his desk entirely focused on saving her brother. There was no question that he was going to help him and what she was feeling managed to overwhelm the disappointment in herself for questioning his loyalty. 

“Our boy’s in trouble.” Chris said and sat back down at his desk and picked up the disk. He held it in both hands, wondering if Spock had known this whole time he was involved in something far greater, far more dangerous. Was the trip to Starbase 5 done to distance himself from those he loved, to protect them? Surely, any other tactic to handle this on his own would have failed. Was the only way to get time away, and away from questions from well-meaning friends, to convince everyone it was for his own mental health? No. He had seen the changes in Spock, he had seen him withdraw almost in fear of himself, and Spock was not good at lying. This was real and someone did this to him. “He needs a fair shake. We need to find him before they do.”

Michael could see him weighted down with his thoughts. She wished she knew her brother well enough to know what could have possibly been going through his mind when all this happened. Instead, he had turned to Chris. That, she understood. Chris might admit to not having all the scientific answers, perhaps more than was necessary, but Christopher Pike was an expert at humanity and human emotion. He saw things, and she understood how comforting it was to be seen; especially when human emotion was the data she and Spock had no idea how to interpret. 

Chris looked up at Michael and held out the disk. “Burnham, break into Mr. Spock’s medical file.”

Amanda felt a wave of relief as the disk passed back to her daughter. Pike was exactly the man her children had lead her to believe he was.

“That’s an order.” Chris added making sure the blame was entirely on him for this. Michael looked back at him, in awe of what he would put on the line for this. He raised his eyebrows at her, indicating it wasn’t that much of a sacrifice, but a necessity to protect her.

They left the ready room and went to the turbolift, she was a little emotionally overwhelmed and the walk was a blur. She didn’t realize she and Amanda were alone until the lift doors closed and she was forced to pick a floor and lab for their illegal activities. As soon as she chose a destination, Amanda smiled at her with that motherly ‘we’re going to talk about something uncomfortable while we’re trapped here, dear’ look and she froze. She had almost forgot about the awkward conversation she thought she was going to have today.

“Captain Pike is everything he’s said to be.” Amanda said sweetly. “ _And more_.”

It was the ‘and more’ that had almost a purr to it. Like an approving purr from someone who definitely had eyes and could see that Chris was the best of everything. She chose to keep this professional, because her brother was a fugitive and it seemed like maybe _that_ could downplay the fact that she was breaking a few fraternization rules. “He’s Starfleet’s most decorated captain.”

“I bet.” She said and smiled. “Spock always had such high standards. Unobtainable, really, but apparently he knew he could find what could satisfy him in Starfleet. I just wasn’t expecting him to have such great hair and make the uniform look _that good_.”

Michael cocked her head and looked at _that_ smile on Amanda’s face. An approving smile. Wait. _What?_ “ _Spock_? You think the captain and Spock are...”

“Michael, call it a mother’s intuition.” Amanda said. “He’s all Spock talks about, when he does talk or write to us, and Pike’s very _open_ with his emotions. I won’t go into detail, but I know for certain that there is a vulnerability in touch telepaths experiencing a very...powerful, emotional, full-body contact. I’m not surprised that Spock had issues coping with that.”

Michael’s jaw almost hit the floor. Amanda gave that comment a satisfied smile that broadcasted ‘Yes, I am most definitely talking about almost killing Sarek with sex’. She wasn’t sure what was worse: knowing about her parents sex life or the fact her Mom thought her the man she just slept with last night put her bother in the hospital with a combination physical and mental intimacy. 

“Oh honey, _I always knew_.” She said smugly. “It was the _logical_ answer.”

How? _How_ was Spock and Chris dating the _logical_ answer. How was a mental breakdown from sex...well Chris _did_ have talent in that department. And it wasn’t exactly like she was having a great time staying focused this morning. 

“I’m hoping that it was a sexual-related mental breakdown and not that he found out _his_ captain had someone else on the side. Like _Diego_ .” Amanda said and shook her head. “Or Diego’s _Grandmother_.”

Michael tried to recover, but the only way she could think to rectify this error was to outright tell Amanda that she was the one who almost had to seek medical attention because of Chris’s _powerful, emotional, full body contact._ That wasn’t happening because the turbolift opened and she wasn’t going to say that in front of a group of engineering ensigns. She smiled a greeting at them as they waited for them to exit the turbolift and then got on to go to their destination. Quietly she told her mother, “I think Captain Vela was just a friend and that Captain Pike is very charismatic.”

“Oh Michael, those two have a past or perhaps a present.” Amanda said and patted her arm. “Did you see how they both practically melted into casual smiles and eye banging immediately? Did you feel like we were interrupting something intimate because we were standing right there as they shamelessly bantered about missed calls and the threat of screen-chatting up grandma? Pretty sure _that face_ with _that smile_ of his, might have put Granny in the hospital as well. Poor Spock, I did nothing to prepare him for dimples and blue-eyes that could just swallow you whole.”

Michael almost charged into the first empty lab where she could open up these medical files. At any point she could have turned to her and set her straight. She just couldn’t let the words leave her throat, the words ‘No, mother, I’m the one getting swallowed…’

“I’m so happy for him, honestly.” Amanda said. “That he could find some way to embrace his human side, something that he repressed for so long, even if it was just in the embrace of a man that God himself must have sculpted.”

Michael pursed her lips and looked anywhere but at her Mom. This was the one occasion she wished Tilly would explode into the room and overshare details about Chris. That would do it. Tilly laughing and rolling her eyes and saying something downright vulgar about what happened last night, and leaving her to helplessly nod and say ‘ Yes, that fine piece of man was definitely eroding years of Vulcan training by washing it all away one incredible climax at a time’. But yet, Tilly was nowhere. Because fate was cruel. So it was back to work, because work was good. “About the medical records and Spock’s drawings...”

“I thought Pike denied our request to break into them because he didn’t want us to know about their relationship.” Amanda threw her hands up and shook her head. “Him and _Diego._ Did nobody think it odd that Spock’s family didn’t know about him checking himself into a mental institution? That his _captain_ dropped him off, possibly kissed him goodbye, and then proceeded to classify things with the head of the institution? I just assumed the records would show Pike was his next-of-kin contact. ”

“I’m pretty sure it was because breaking into these records is _incredibly illegal_ and a _break of protocols_ and very possibly could get him _court martialed_. He also gave that order to open them, so that I would not be court-martialed again, or worse.” She took a deep breath. “And I think you’re embellishing the details a little.”

“Don’t worry, dear, with that ‘charisma’ I’m sure he can talk himself out of anything.” Amanda tutted. “ _My_ officer. Could he be any more obvious? No wonder Diego wasn’t returning his phone calls. Probably got a helping of ‘charisma’ to be quiet about the admission and was upset he wasn’t getting more.”

Michael looked to the door. Maybe Chris could come in and set this right? Maybe? Please? Maybe a red alert? Black alert? Nothing. Because the universe chose right now, for the first time, to not have anything happen on this ship. She had to focus on work. “Logic dictates a few theories...”

“People do things to protect those they love, Michael.” Amanda said and Michael looked like she was being put under the interrogation lamps and asked to break her vow of secrecy. “I’m sure you would do anything to protect your brother. You don’t need to hide this, I never cared what either of you did as long as you were happy. I do think that Pike might be compromised because of his involvement in this, perhaps we should keep this in the family for now? To find out what may have triggered Spock’s emotional state?”

“You think Pike is hiding something? Still?”

“No, I saw his surprise at finding all this out from _Diego_ .” Amanda said the other man’s name bitterly. “I think he genuinely thought he was doing the right thing for Spock. I believe that my son may have requested this break from _his_ captain in order to figure out where he was as an individual. I can’t imagine the intensity of a relationship when you’re serving on the same ship. When you take orders from the man you….”

Michael dropped the disk. “Sorry.”

“I hope that this doesn’t change your working relationship with your captain.” Amanda said, sincerely. “Seeing now, well, your Starfleet family might be a little closer than you realized.”

Michael put the disk in a drive and started working on the encryption. She took a deep breath. She desperately just wanted to work. She repeated her earlier statement knowing Amanda would recognize her method for wanting to just go back to work and avoid this uncomfortable conversation. “Logic dictates a few theories...”

“Go ahead.” Amanda said.

“Spock didn’t do it, and he’s wrongfully accused.” Michael said. “Or he did murder those doctors, in a….mentally compromised state or what he he thought was self-defense.”

Amanda knew she was saving the worst for last.

“Or because he’s emotionally compromised.” Michael finished and saw Amanda look away on that one, because she genuinely thought her son had a psychotic break because someone had shown him love. Someone, who had shown her daughter a range of things last night that she didn’t think she was physically or emotionally capable of. Someone, who as captain, should be checking up on them any minute...please?

* * *

“Greeting, everyone,” Saru’s voice carried across the bridge. “And welcome to Shadow Exercises.”

Chris was standing behind the captain’s chair, leaning on it, trying to not swivel it back and forth as Saru gave his speech. He looked over to Michael’s station and sucked on his lip, wondering when she would check in and tell him what they found in Spock’s medical files. He tapped his fingers on the chair and let his eyes wander across the bridge, taking in everyone’s backs as they gave their undivided attention to Saru. 

Saru continued. “As Starfleet’s future chiefs and captains, this is your opportunity to build a rapport with a senior officer, and see firsthand what their duties entail. So, let us begin.”

Chris snapped out of his thoughts, realized his mind was going too fast, with too many unanswerable questions and he was going to have to stop. Focus. Leave the conspiracy theories for the ready room and come back to the bridge where he was needed for this exercise. “Look sharp, people. This is our future competition.”

Tilly trotted up to the chair, any other day, any other time, she would have been thrilled to be paired with Captain Pike, but right now she was about ready to have a mental breakdown and feared he would be the one most likely to see it. May hovered beside her, practically leaning into her ear, and she was going to have to concentrate extra hard to ignore her. 

“Is that your captain?” May asked.

“Um…” Tilly watched Pike swivel the chair around a little and then stand there like the Starfleet God he was just watching her with encouraging eyes. Because this morning she had body slammed him when she was trying to outrun May during the half-marathon, and then apologized by running her hands all over his chest in an attempt to make sure she didn’t break him, then thanked him for having sex with her roommate. So, yeah, maybe the hallucinations of her middle school friend was not the most awkward thing right now. “Ensign Sylvia Tilly, sir. Fully present and focused on this important exercise for which I am all ears, captain.””

Chris stood with his hand on the chair’s arm and made sure to put a reassuring smile on his face. So apparently Michael was not the only one who couldn’t handle the personal developments last night. He was sure Tilly was being awkward because she was trying to repress any urges she had to make comments about Michael, him, Sarek’s call, or maybe how she checked for a rib injury by rubbing his nipple this morning. Or how she apologized for the nipple thing by groping him. All while running a half-marathon. Ok, he was definitely going to have to be fully present for this to help her out of anything awkward she might announce to the bridge. “Your dedication _is noted._ ”

Tilly felt like an idiot, but Captain ‘I totally blew your best friend’s mind last night with my sexual prowess and these expressive looks’ Pike was making her feel a little less lost. Maybe if she focused on him, like she had been since his fucking arrival on _Discovery_ , she could pay less attention to the girl breathing hot breath in her ear right now. He said her dedication was noted, probably referring to her dedication to Michael. Yes. She could do this! Just keep it together for one more CTP exercise and then deal with her mental breakdown later. Totally doable. 

Chris saw her staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. If anything, this was when he missed his horses most. Breaking in new officers was like taking an unstarted colt into the round pen and having that youngster get locked up because they didn’t know what to do next. All you could do was try to break their feet loose, get them moving, give them a direction to go and make them feel like it was their decision. Never fault them for what they didn’t know, give them an out. With Tilly...the tension was over what she already knew about him and Michael and the fear of letting that loose. So he should work on that first. His voice was soft and casual, just like it had been this morning when she body slammed him and thanked him for having sex with her roommate. Just, keep it casual, this was just any other day on this ship. “So, what should we do?”

Tilly looked at him, terrified, as he put his hand on the chair and looked at her with that sweet smile that he didn’t realize made everyone want to melt in a puddle in front of him and beg to be _what he did_. And now she was thinking of that look on Michael’s face this morning that said she was definitely glad she let him _do her_. Ohh God, her best friend was fucking this incredible dude and she was so happy for her! She really needed to not ruin it! 

Chris threw out something he knew Tilly would latch onto. Consequences be damned. She looked like she was going to explode. “How about we marry some folks who aren’t really that into each other? Let them figure it out?”

“Oh.” Tilly finally laughed. _Not_ into each other, which means he was taking him and Michael off the table because he was a clever bastard who knew that would be exactly the first words out of her mouth. She relaxed a little, because she wasn’t alone right now. That tension was suddenly gone over what she kinda shouldn’t know, but definitely did know and now they were just back to normal. Their normal inappropriate. “Very good, sir.”

“Captain, I need your authorization for this.” Rhys interrupted as he brought over a tablet.

Chris gave an apologetic smile to Tilly as he excused himself to look at the PADD. He hoped it would be something related to Spock but found it was just requisition forms. He flipped through as quickly as possible, looking over to Tilly to make sure she was still okay, and found her nervously bouncing from foot to foot and talking to herself. He thought he caught the words ‘Captain Lorca’ as she rolled her eyes and tried to get her nerves under control, so he opted to forgo checking anything else the tablet could provide him and focus entirely on her. Whatever Lorca did to this crew was going to take years to unravel. He hated to think of what he had asked of her. He walked back towards the chair to get her attention. “I’m ready if you are.”

“Was he shorter?” May demanded. “The captain? And blonder? And much, _much_ whiter?”

Tilly took a deep breath as Pike tapped things into the armrest console. What the hell was May’s ghost talking about? Why was she upset about white guys being captain? And Lorca wasn’t any less tan than Pike? And he wasn’t blond? 

“That is not the man I am looking for.” May said harshly.

Tilly glared at her. This was the man _everyone_ was looking for.

Chris glanced over at Tilly, once again frozen in place and making faces. He needed her to move her feet so he instructed, “Hop in the chair.”

“Yes, sir.” Tilly said and didn’t move because May was getting angry. If some middle school friend was haunting her in an attempt to get herself a man, well, then she was welcome to Captain Lorca and the mycellial boiler he got roasted in. 

“Let’s run a systems test.” Chris said and prepped the program. Maybe getting into the technical details would help. He glanced at Michaels' workstation, wishing she'd get back here to be Tilly's support. He really wanted to help her through this but she was making it hard on him.

“Where’s the other captain!” May demanded.

“Um, a systems test?” Tilly asked and Pike looked over at her. “Um, where?”

“Where?” Chris glanced down at the chair and back at her. Was this a Lorca thing? Was this just awe at the reality that her CTP was taking her closer to eventually sitting here? He winked at her, and pointed at the chair, “In the chair.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Tilly said and almost stumbled up the stairs. Pike had to think she was an idiot. Or maybe she was hung up on the fact that he was dating her friend? No, he had to believe she was a complete fucking idiot because she genuinely was acting that way. If anything the fact that he was nice and understanding was the only reason she hadn’t already been excused and kicked out of the CTP. She had to get it together. She looked over to Michael’s empty station and wished her friend was here for some kind of support. Instead, she sat down like the chair was going to eat her alive and she looked around for what to do next. Focus. She had to focus! This wasn’t her first time doing this, and being Terran Captain Killy had come so easy to her and yet being haunted by a kid she barely knew was threatening to destroy her. She had to stop leaning on Pike to save her from herself. “Step one..”

“This is not right!” May whined. “My plan is falling apart.”

“Calm down.” Tilly said, to both of them.

Chris had turned his back to her to give her time to compose herself, but he also had deliberately put the console on the _very screen_ she needed to run a systems check. There was nothing else in that menu other than the button for ‘Run systems check.’ He cautiously turned back to her, saying “I’m hearing considerably less syllables out of your than normal.”

Tilly looked up as he turned to her. Concern. Comfort. Questioning. All on his very expressive face. God, this was the man that Michael deserved and she hoped to God she wasn’t fucking that up by having a mental breakdown today.

“I know the chair can be intimidating but..” Chris said and then softly asked, “Are you okay?”

“No. We are not okay!” May said. “I want the captain!”

She was yelling and blocking her view of Pike. It felt like her tether to reality was broken. Of course her ghost friend turned out to be a thirsty bitch! Holy hell. Unless this was some subconscious attempt for her brain to relay that she was kinda jealous Michael was banging him and not her? No. Pike was the awesome dude her best friend deserved and she was not at the point in her life where she wanted some relationship instead of random hookups. So May, pissy May, needed to back the fuck up and lay off her captain kink right now. Now she was just pissed because some ghost was insulting this genuinely great guy who was trying so hard to not fail her on this very simple task of just pressing the damned button! Tilly looked down then looked May dead in the eye and hissed, “This is the captain.” 

“Ensign, _what_ is going on?” Chris asked as Tilly seemed to unravel in front of his eyes. Tilly was bubbly and unfiltered, not nervous and unhinged. Something was wrong. 

May vanished and left her looking right at Pike, right at the man who was struggling to help her but he had no idea why she was acting like this. He would have answers, he wouldn’t hold it against her that she was seeing a ghost. Hell, he was the one who made a big deal about the evils of holograms and how he didn't want a séance when he wanted to make a face to face call. He’d...help. She just needed to tell him she was insane.

“Tilly, answer Captain Pike.” Saru said authoritatively, finally stepping in. He had paired her with Pike hoping that the captain would be the one who would be the influence she needed to step up from timid Tilly to future Captain Tilly. He wasn’t expecting to watch her implode, for her to have had a better rapport with _Captain Lorca_ of all people, than Pike. Where was the babbling ensign who talked about nail beds and pinkies? Where the hell was her response to his order?

“Tilly!” May screamed.

And suddenly May was back and Tilly was _done_. It was all over, she couldn’t keep this up anymore. The lack of sleep, the lack of sanity. She looked at May and shut her eyes and yelled back. “I’m not listening to you anymore. You tricked me!”

The whole bridge turned to look at Tilly as she yelled at Pike from the chair. Saru was appalled and he could see from Pike’s face that he had no idea what was going on either.

“And you lied to me!” Tilly added.

“I didn’t lie!” May hollered back, then pointed an accusatory finger at Pike. “He’s lying! He’s an imposter!”

Tilly could see the shock on the captain’s face. Maybe betrayal? Because he was trying to help her but now she was yelling at him in front of everyone and implying he tricked her and lied to her. Because nobody else could see May and all they saw was her directing her outbursts at Pike. Oh God, this was going to tarnish him somehow and all he did was try to throw her a lifeline. Fuck May! Screw with her she might, but nobody got to talk about Pike like that. “Shut up!”

“Ensign Sylvia Tilly!” Saru barked and it was enough to get Tilly to jump out of the chair and look around. Look around and realize their captain was now frozen in place, shocked by the levels of insubordination and outright rudeness from her. Betrayed because he tried to help and did more than he should. May was gone and all she saw was Pike’s face. He looked guilty, like somehow he did something that brought this on. “No, I didn’t...I’m not..”

Chris lifted his eyebrows in an attempt to coax those next words out of her. _Not what?_

“She drove me to it. I…” Tilly put her hands over her eyes, feeling everyone’s stares. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Nobody moved. It was as if Tilly was so obviously fragile right now they all feared she would shatter. Chris was trying to get her to look at him, look him in the eye so she could see that _nobod_ y was sure what was going on but nobody thought she was a threat. His expression was soft, just begging her to answer _who_ or _what_. Just asking for information so they could help.

“I’m not.” Tilly replied to him, not sure what that meant. It wasn’t about him and she wanted to cry and now she was ready to cry and everyone was looking at her. All she could say was, “I’m not…”

Chris shifted, just trying to reach a hand out and show he was not a threat but instead she blew up.

“I quit.” Tilly snapped as soon as it seemed like Pike would come over and help. Like he wanted to. Like any of this was on him, when it wasn’t. She had no other words, no way to tell everyone that this was not about them or him or anyone but _her_ . And then she fled with as much dignity as she could manage and got in the turbolift _with May._

Chris watched her look to her side as she entered the lift and knew it wasn’t going to be him that helped her figure out what was going on. Some days, he really hated how much people acted like horses. He let go a long and tired breath, picked up a PADD and checked to see where Michael was because this was a conversation that had to be had in person.

* * *

“Your Mom left?” Chris asked, meeting up with Michael outside the Transporter room as she came out of it.

“Yes.” Michael replied and left it at that. She and Amanda had gone through Spock’s records, talked about the red angel. The red angel she had seen that day Chris had come back to save her on the asteroid. It rattled her because she didn't understand the significance. An angel had saved her life, scarred her brother. An angel had saved her life again and now her brother was once again damaged. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, feeling the weight in that one word. So, someone else had a fun experience doing routine tasks today. This ship....was something else.

  
  


Michael cleared her throat and looked at him. It was so much easier to speak these words to Chris than her own mother, “Amanda seems to be under the impression you and Spock were dating, that your intimate relations may have led to him having a breakdown and that you were sleeping with the Captain on Starbase 5 to cover up his admission to the hospital.“

“ _What?”_ Chris asked, not expecting _that_.

“Apparently it’s the logical assumption.” Michael said. 

“Wow.” Chris said, and that feeling of being dragged by a horse suddenly coming back to him as today just ran roughshod over what he considered normal. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, fore, indicating the bridge. “Is that why Tilly just screamed at me on the bridge? Do you all think I’m sleeping with your brother?”

_“What?_ ” It was Michael's turn to be confused.

“Tilly.” Chris clarified. “Who went from _literally_ running into me this morning during the half-marathon and thanking me for ‘whatever you did to Michael to make her Father call thinking she had an out of body experience and was dying’ to screaming at me to shut up and quitting the CTP this afternoon. Or maybe her job. She wasn’t very clear about it.”

“ _What!?_ ” Michael repeated.

“I can really see how miscommunication is happening around here.” He said and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he took her by the arm and walked her to an empty room and continued the conversation in there. “You first. So your Mom left thinking I was dating Spock.”

“Yes, I found it difficult to convince her otherwise.” Michael gave an apologetic shrug. “There weren’t many lulls in the conversation and she seemed happy for him.”

“And your Father…” 

“Sarek and I share Katra and...he might have _felt_ that powerful….” She took a deep breath and watched Chris’s eyebrows rise.. “ _Experience_ last night.”

“So that’s why you thought the Vulcan shuttle was here?” Chris asked, amused by the things that he had to say because...well this was the best damned job in the universe. “You thought your Dad was checking up on you because I may have killed you with an orgasm?”

“The multiple orgasms, specifically.” Michael said and he actually smiled, no glowed, at the reminder of that. “And my Mother thinks you may have had to commit Spock because of what you did to him...a touch telepath…. _sexually_.”

“Wow. This is officially the worst way I have ever met anyone’s parents and I had the Fair Queen’s Dad walk in on me in a stall at the fair once.” Chris said and left the details up to Michael’s imagination and he got a very Vulcan eyebrow quirked at him. 

“So what’s wrong _with Tilly_?” Michael changed the subject not wanting to know about his _Fair_ _Queen_. Especially when they started off their date last night with chess, and he had delighted her with his talk on the queen being the most powerful piece on the board, or bed, as it turned out.

“She’s not mad at me for _this_?” Chris waved his hand between them, trying to encompass the Vulcan disaster that was Michael’s family.

“I haven’t talked to her, but I doubt it. I was busy not talking while my Mom traumatized me.” Michael nodded. “I, however, will check in on Tilly.”

“Thanks.” Chris said and took her hand and kissed it. Letting his lips linger on her knuckles as an apology for the turn things took and the promise of a more empathic apology later.

Michael also felt compelled to apologize. “I’m sorry my parents think you’re some kind of sex God who can kill their children.”

“I’m looking forward to laughing about this tonight, and I hope that I didn’t break Tilly’s brain somehow by suggesting we marry people.” Chris let Michael have her hand back.

“You did _what_?”

“I just thought it was a joke to calm her down. Maybe arranged marriage is no joking matter?” He shook his head, not understanding how things went so wrong on the bridge. 

“You want to get married?” Michael clarified.

“Is there some kind of miscommunication mushroom floating around today or is this just not my day?” He asked and then clarified, “I said marry folks who are _not_ that into each other...and for the record I am not opposed to marriage when people are into each other. Even if everyone thinks it's a dated tradition, I tend to be an old fashioned kinda guy.”

“I’ll talk to Tilly.” Michael said in response to the look in Chris’s eye said ‘I have embraced not knowing what is going on on this ship, but I was I was a participant and I still don’t know what the fuck happened’. 

“Great, thank you.” He said and then grabbed her shoulder before she could leave and took a deep breath. “Just to be clear, I am not dating or having sex with your brother.”

“Or Diego?” Michael asked, with a smirk.

“Or Diego.” He confirmed.

“Or Diego’s _grandmother_?”

“No.” He sighed. “But apparently I might have had a three-way with Sarek last night?”

“He experienced…” She winced in return. “An overwhelming outburst of emotion, several bursts actually, and peaceful numbness after. Emotion. No details.”

“ _Oh my God_.” He whispered and then shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, dinner tonight? You and me, talk this over? Maybe...make me a Venn diagram or something to keep track of all this?”

“Yes sir.” She said with a smile. “I’ll check on Tilly. Maybe make her feel better by having her give you the presentation on how horribly this went with my parents.”

“Careful, she might want to marry me and Spock.” He said and let go of her arm.

Michael smiled and then it was her turn to grab his arm. “Spock’s medical records revealed a drawing….of an angel.”

“Which one?” Chris asked and Michael’s look told him that she wasn’t referring to religion here, she was relaying information. Well, that was good. At least Amanda didn’t credit him with converting Spock to a Earth religion while they were having all that sex that shut his Vulcan brain down and sent him to the psychiatric ward.

“The same red angel I saw when you rescued me on the asteroid.” Michael said and he cocked his head in reaction to that new information. “Yes, the angel I told you about after visiting New Eden. _That_ angel.”

He smiled at her. “I swear to you, any time I touched your brother I did not convey any emotions that I wanted to sleep with him. I simply found it as an easy way to communicate because he struggled to accept the genuine meaning of what I told him. I needed him to know I was proud of him as an officer, that his friendship was valued even if he chose to roast me like the little shit he is at every turn.”

She smiled at him because only Christopher Pike would find it his duty to seek out the way to make his repressed half-Vulcan science officer see he was cherished. Much like a certain cadet had gone out of her way to help her repressed, Vulcan-raised, mutineer, roommate enjoy life on _Discovery_. And continued to do so. How lucky they all were to have good friends. She smiled and closed her eyes, the image of that angel and the odds of it appearing to both of them, seared into the back of her eyelids. It meant something. It was the key. She dropped her chin to her chest, but what did it mean? “Spock saw that angel when he was a child.”

“I didn’t do _anything_ to Spock to make him astral project back to his childhood and see angels.” Chris said and smiled at her and put his finger under her chin to lift her head back up. “Open your eyes, Michael.”

She did and saw his reassuring smile. It _could_ have been him. It really could have. He was so true to his principles and to his people that she couldn’t imagine any ‘angel’ of religious significance having more power than he did in that respect. “It’s just that….if he was emotionally compromised….”

“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you go check on Tilly and I’ll see if I can figure out another way to say ‘I didn’t have sex with your brother’. Perhaps in Vulcan? French?”

“I believe you.” She said and at this point didn’t know what she was really trying to say. 

“I can’t believe this, but hey, just another day in Starfleet huh?” He said and leaned forward and gave her a light kiss. “Good luck with Tilly, maybe she got some details from Sarek that you didn’t know about..”

She put her finger on his lips and his eyes belayed the mischievous side of him that was _most definitely_ not angelic. “I will update you as soon as I can, captain.”

He kissed her finger and then took a step back. “I look forward to it, commander.” 

* * *

Michael wasn’t prepared for Tilly to be having a nervous breakdown and hallucinating a dead girl, but that seemed to just be another Tuesday on Discovery. It turned out to be fungus related, which was literally _just any other day on Discovery_. Now they were in Staments lab, because it was were solutions were made. “You’re in good hands, Tilly.”

“I’m scared.” Tilly said and looked at May. “She thinks Staments is the captain. She’s getting mad. I think I also royally fucked up whatever rapport I built with your new boyfriend by screaming at him to shut up in front of everyone on the bridge.”

“Well, it seems like my life isn’t the only thing being confused around here.” Michael mumbled.

“So it didn’t go well with your Dad?” Tilly asked. “I can’t imagine getting a call from my Dad asking why he felt your out of body experience through _space_ and informing him that that was just Starfleet’s finest releasing years of pent up emotions and sexual frustration with multiple orgasms.”

“What?” Staments asked.

“Michael is banging the Captain.” Tilly informed him. 

“Have a thing for captains, huh?” Staments asked.

“Please, _don’t._ ” Michael said. Talking about Lorca and his obsession with her was something she was avoiding more than avoiding telling Amanda that she was the one enjoying Captain Pike’s ‘charisma’. 

“We really should stop compartmentalizing our issues with our last captain.” Tilly said.

“He’s right here!” May yelled. 

“Yeah, let’s not.” Staments said. “This is supposed to be a professional atmosphere. You can find therapy somewhere else.”

“I’m hallucinating a fungus girl and you’re the conductor of the magic mushroom train.” Tilly waved her arms around. “Let’s not even get started on the tardigrade, thank you. Professional? I think not.”

“So you and the _captain_.” Staments gave a fake giggle then thought about it. “Wow. I’m actually impressed.”

“But Dad isn’t?” Tilly asked.

“About that.” Michael said as she realized everyone, including May the hallucination, was now invested in the story. “It _wasn’t_ Sarek that came for a visit, Amanda took his shuttle.”

“Oh, yeah I can see where that wouldn't be a convo you have with Dad.” Tilly said. “Mom always has the sex talk with girls.”

“Well it wasn't one I had with her either because the captain...” Michael sighed. “Tried to be casual and went a bit too far.”

“Oh details.” Tilly said and May pouted her foot. “Woman, your fungus issues will wait. My best friend needs to tell us how far the captain went. Did he take off his uniform or something? Unzip and show off those pecs? God are those firm, did he mention I might have rubbed his nipple accidentally this morning?”

“No. His clothes remained on.” Michael said, ignoring that detail because that seemed like a good indicator that Tilly was indeed still Tilly. She sighed, wondering how to really summarize all the looks that were given during the meeting. “He asked my Mom if I was bossy as a kid as a segway to…”

“Pissing her off?” Tilly asked.

“Yes.” Michael nodded. 

“And then?” Tilly asked, rubbing her hands excitedly.

“He called an old friend to find out about my brother’s condition and got a _little_ flirty.” Michael recalled. Oh the looks Amanda gave them.

“The captain is always flirty.” Tilly said. “So he turned up the casual _and_ flirty? And you didn’t just ride him right there on his desk?”

“ _My mother,_ ” Michael said and emphasized that to remind Tilly who was in the room at the time. “Thinks he’s dating my brother Spock, she thinks that the reason my brother had a mental breakdown was because Chris ‘touched’ some emotions Spock wasn’t able to handle, and that he had him committed to the mental health facility on Starbase 5 because he was also sleeping with the Captain there who would keep Spock’s condition quiet. And possibly the Starbase Captain’s grandmother, who he, for some reason, said he wanted to meet because she communicates through video chat.”

“Pike’s having video sex with some guy’s grandma!?” Tilly asked. “And are we all allowed to call him Chris now that you’re sleeping with him?”

“Spock’s condition being…” Staments asked for clarification. “That Pike _blew his mind_ with..”

“The orgasm we know he’s capable of tapping into because he ‘hit it’ in Michael last night.” Tilly squealed with delight and clapped with joy. “Multiple times. Loud enough it echoed across space and knocked her Dad out of bed thinking she was distressed and dying. So good, I’m getting tingles now!”

Michael sighed and just let her shoulders sag. “The captain also thinks you screamed at him on the bridge because arranged marriage is no joking matter.”

“Listen, if my little fungus shadow wasn’t there I would have totally told him to go get you and get on his knee and prepare his wedding vows.” She assured her. “I am your wing man.”

“I’m sorry but he wasn’t the captain.” May insisted, suddenly remembering her own distress. She was interested in the story, Tilly’s life was very colorful and her brain was genuinely overjoyed at the news her friend was in a relationship. She looked at Staments and remembered her own mission. “This one is! He is the captain.”

“Bitch, what’s your damage?” Tilly screamed. “Pike’s not just the captain, he’s like the very definition of the word. _Fuck off._ ”

“Are we done here?” Staments asked and Michael nodded. “Is gossip hour over so we can get this parasite out of her?”

“Tell the Captain I’m not a parasite.” May hissed.

“The real captain just fucked three Vulcans, do you really want to know what he’s going to do to you if you don’t shut up?” Tilly snapped back.

“Please.” Michael begged Staments. “I’m pretty sure Sarek heard that, along with the entire ship. I genuinely am trying to not broadcast this to all of the galaxy.”

“You should!” Tilly said and grabbed Michael’s hands. “And, if we’re being honest, that look on your face this morning already broadcasted it to _everyone_ you past in the halls. And this morning? That afterglow? That avoidance of looking at him? Honey, you should have just worn a shirt that said ‘I rode Pike and put him away wet’.”

“I still don’t understand what that means.” Michael said, disappointed that she didn’t grow up with lewd horse references like all the other humans on board. Or that she was the Fair Queen young Chris jumped in a stall.

“It means, everyone knows.” Tilly said and then sadly added. “And they either think I’m jealous or that I slept with him too or that I don’t think he’s good enough for you.”

“I seriously doubt anyone thinks that.” Michael reassured her.

“Oh they most certainly do.” May said and shrugged when Tilly gave her a nasty look. “What? You were awful.” 

Statements just rolled his eyes and announced. “This is going to hurt.”

Michael shook her head. Yeah, _that_ was an understatement.

* * *

Captain Christopher Pike was a beautiful man to begin with, even more so when he was laughing. Michael watched his face turn red, tears streak down his face, his agile body hunch over as he gasped for air, and his hand slap the couch as he tried very hard to not die from laughter. Unfortunately, it was contagious and she was soon laughing with him, lying on his shoulder and trying to use his shirt to sop up tears as she did so. They managed to get it under control before they passed out from lack of oxygen. “I’ve _never_ laughed like that.”

“Do we need to brace for another visit from the Vulcan ambassador?” Chris asked, only half joking.

“Might.” Michael admitted. Twenty four hours and he had already taken her on the ride of her life. So many things she never allowed herself to indulge in. So many things that were so natural for and with him.

Chris realized they were half laying on the couch already so he opted to just fully embrace it, and her, and swung his legs up. He pulled Michael into his chest as he rolled over. She was more graceful about it, pulling her legs up and rolling onto him in one move, and leaning up to kiss him as they both sniffed with after-laughter mucus. He hummed as she kissed him and when she pulled back he asked, “Are we going to tell them the truth or just let the rumors run through Starfleet for a while?”

“As far as I am concerned..” Michael wiped away a tear and smiled. “Spock can handle rumors about his own love life when we find him.”

“If I ever doubted you two were siblings,” He shook his head. “That answer proves it.”

“Why?”

“Sacrificing your little brother to embarrassment just because you can?” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s sort of a universal experience.”

“I’m pretty sure there is a fungus lady from the mushroom universe who knows about you too.” Michael said. 

“God...” He snorted and leaned back against the armrest and smiled. 

“I believe you called his name enough last night…”

Chris put his finger on her lips. “I am going to have to go to confession if you continue that sentence.”

“Who were you wanting to marry on the bridge today?” She asked, coyly.

“Marry _some people who weren’t really that into each other._ ” He clarified. “I was trying to break the ice and Tilly was super nervous. I just wanted to help her.”

“You understand giving her that kind of power, under normal circumstances, would have been asking her to put you and I on the spot on the entire bridge?” She asked.

“Give her time.” He cleared his throat. “How in the hell did she find out about us so fast? Was she betting on us? Did you tell her?”

“When I left your room, not early enough, this morning, I went back to my room. She wasn’t asleep, which was apparently because she was being haunted by her middle school fungus friend. I went to shower, Sarek called, I wasn't there and she answered because he thought I was dying and made it a priority call.” She sighed and he started laughing again. His chest reverberating with the laughter under her. “That was after I opened the door to our room, the lights were on, and she looked at me and proclaimed I looked ‘well fucked’.”

He kept laughing. 

“This is funny?” She asked and kept a straight face, cocking an eyebrow for effect. "Just wait until Tilly apologizes to you on the bridge tomorrow, like she's planning. Will it still be funny?"

“It is.” He nodded. “It’s going to be even better when we find Spock and he finds out everything that's happened in his absence _from his parents_.”

“It will definitely get Sarek to raise an eyebrow.” Michael shrugged. It’s not like Spock didn’t relish arguing with their father, she was probably doing him a favor.

“Any leads on Spock?” Chris asked.

“I don’t know where to even start.” She answered and put her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the warmth and comfort. “I genuinely believe he’s trying to protect us by fleeing.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not how family works.”

She smiled and really felt like he was some kind of angel, he had done so much to help her understand herself already. She looked up at him, “How does this work?”

“What?” Chris asked and saw her hesitate, her mind seemed to lock up when it was unable to access data on being human. He lifted his head and kissed her forehead, taking away the question she didn’t know how to answer. “Us?”

“Yeah.” She said and sat up and kissed him back, because it _was_ the answer. It was a great answer, but it didn’t fix anything. It just put things off. 

“I noticed you were a little distracted on the bridge this morning.” He said and smiled at her, playfully. 

“How were you _not_?” he exclaimed, annoyed at him for being so damned perfect and capable.

“I was, but I was excited for _that future_. For that step out of a comfort zone and for walking forward with you, wherever this may lead.” He answered.

“Why do you have so many great answers?” She asked, the answer warming her to her very core, fusing shut that horrible black whole inside her that threated to destroy her this morning.

“They teach a course on inspirational speeches for captains at the academy.” He said, straight faced.

“Really?” She could see in his eyes that he was joking, but somehow his lips remained tight and only a little smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Was, “Fly, good” one of them?”

“It worked.” He replied and grinned at her. “The real answer to your question is that _I didn’t change anything._ I have been hovering over you, around you, pulling you aside more than anyone else. I have been, very transparent about my interest and I didn’t realize how bad until today when I changed _nothing_ when we finally became _something_. Must be because I don’t have my crew, Number One and Spock would have been merciless from the moment I even looked at you, and with out them I had the freedom to wholeheartedly throw myself into a disastrous first introduction to your mother.”

“I think, she’ll be amused.” Michael said. “As long as you don’t call me bossy, or imply her mother’s intuition is off, you’ll be one of the very few things my parents will be proud of me doing.”

He laughed and ran his hand down her cheek. “Do we need to take a break from... _activities_ until you can call home and ask Sarek to turn off the emergency alerts.?"

"Do you want to?” Michael asked, eyebrow raised. “On video chat?"

"What?" He asked, seeing it was a joke but not sure what the reference was. 

"Diego's grandma?" She reminded him.

"Oh. I covered some galactic ground today." He shook his head. Yeah, next meeting with Amanda Grayson was going to require some whiskey and probably a checklist for how royally he fucked up today.

"If the spore drive goes offline we can probably just tap into your sex drive instead." Michael mused and ran her hand through his hair and watched his eyes sparkle with amusement. 

“What happened to ‘I’m Vulcan, we don’t joke’ from last week?” He asked, laughing a little at her. 

“You happened.” She said and it came out in a huff, like the statement shocked even her. It did shock her, but it was the truth. She thought about it and repeated it, this time more as an affirmation. “ _You happened_.”

“Let’s pray the best is yet to come.” Chris said, because nothing was a given in life and things were happening faster than ever these days. 

“Let’s go to bed.” She said and he raised his eyebrows and gave her a suggestive smirk. “I’ll try to keep my emotional outbursts in the bedroom.”

“I won't.” He laughed. “I’m seeing it as a challenge to see if I can have someone in another universe stop what their doing and question if they ever had sex right in their life.”

“Chris.” She said and tapped his nose. “ I am not getting another visit or call from my parents over you _this soon_. And I have already had someone from another universe try to relocate me, so I would much rather not meet anyone else from another timeline if it’s all the same to you.”

“Someone really needs to read me in on that…” He was silenced by her kiss. Slow, soft and just the subtlest drag of his lip between her teeth as she pulled away. “But later.”

“First, “ She said and ran her finger along his jaw and then tapped his lips. “I need to know what it means to be _ridden hard and put away wet_.”

He grinned at her. “I’m just going to accept this as miscommunication and just go with it.”

Michael felt him wrap his arms around her, lift her into his chest and put his legs back on the ground. Then she pushed off the couch, using it to wrap her legs around his waist. She clung to his neck and kissed him, his hands rolling down her back to her butt, holding her up and squeezing her at the same time. He felt safe, he felt like he had answers to everything she could never understand or research, like he held the key to life itself. Tomorrow, she wouldn't be ashamed of this. Tomorrow she’d walk onto the bridge by his side. Tomorrow, she would tell them all what she was afraid they would find out, because she wanted many many more tomorrows with him.

Or at least she'd try because Ensign Sylvia Tilly was determined to explain herself tomorrow and nobody knew where that would take them. That, was tomorrow, and right now the only place she was going was to bed with Chris.


End file.
